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Old December 30th, 2010, 12:23 PM
bluequeen bluequeen is offline
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Changing cats feeding schedules..

I have 2 cats, they both have always had free choice food throughout the day. The older one (19yo) has CRF and I have recently gotten a prescription dry food for him as well as a low protein wet food to mix in with it. So now I need to transition both of them over to being fed in the morning and night. It’s too difficult to feed the older one and just hope that he’s full enough that he doesn’t mosey in and eat the other food. My cat (5yo) could easily lose a couple pounds as well so I don’t think it will be bad for her to not have the free choice either. Just want to know if anyone has any tips on making it an easier transition for the two cats.
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Old December 30th, 2010, 12:56 PM
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sugarcatmom sugarcatmom is offline
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What about free-feeding them both the same high quality (ie. not "prescription") lower phosphorus wet food, as growler mentioned in your other thread: http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread....els#post973400

I'd be worried that after 19 years of free-feeding, your CRF cat won't adjust to scheduled meals so well. What were the results of his lab work, by the way?
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Old December 30th, 2010, 03:27 PM
bluequeen bluequeen is offline
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I will look through the list of food again and see if I can find something that might work because I agree I don't really want to have to change it on them. I don't know how I can feed them the same food though because my younger cat requires alot more protein then the older one as the one with CRF need low protein since it's hard on his kidneys.
I would really like to try and stick to a dry food if possible, straight wet food tends to give both of them diarreah, are there low phosphorus dry foods?
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Old December 30th, 2010, 04:27 PM
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sugarcatmom sugarcatmom is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluequeen View Post
I don't know how I can feed them the same food though because my younger cat requires alot more protein then the older one as the one with CRF need low protein since it's hard on his kidneys.
It's a myth that protein is hard on kidneys, perpetuated by pet food manufacturers hoping to make a buck off of poor quality prescription renal diets. http://www.felineoutreach.org/Education/Kidney.html
Quote:
Diet

Our domesticated cats originated in the desert. They have a low thirst drive, and count on the moisture inherent in their diet for most of their water consumption. Studies indicate cats fed dry food drink more water than cats fed canned, but not enough more to compensate for the lack of moisture in their diet.

Moisture is imperative for kidney health. All cats, but especially cats with renal insufficiency, should consume canned or other wet food.

It was believed that low-protein diets might be beneficial for cats with CRF, but studies indicate that low protein diets actually elevate Creatinine levels and exacerbate the anemia and muscle wastage commonly secondary to renal issues. Feeding a diet containing a high quality protein can improve the quality of life for cats with CRF. High quality proteins are easily digestible proteins such as poultry or rabbit muscle and organ meat. Grains and grain glutens are not easily digestible, and it may be desirable to avoid them.

Quote:
Originally Posted by bluequeen View Post
I would really like to try and stick to a dry food if possible, straight wet food tends to give both of them diarreah, are there low phosphorus dry foods?
Which wet foods have you tried in the past? How did you introduce them, and how long did you feed them for? It's not uncommon to have some transitional diarrhea when changing foods, but this usually goes away. There are also supplements like slippery elm bark and probiotics that can help. I can't stress enough how important wet food is for ALL cats, but exponentially more so for cats with kidney issues.
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